THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Introduction to Participatory Science

Participatory Science aims to integrate democratic practices and scientific rigor within research projects designed to be both innovative and impactful.

It is exemplified by research approaches that directly involve citizens in the production of knowledge. It is based on the idea that everyone, beyond the academic world, can contribute to observation, data collection, and the understanding of complex phenomena. This approach promotes both the enrichment of knowledge, awareness of major contemporary issues, and the connection between science and society.

In these approaches, the scientific method holds a special place in research and innovation, as it develops a critical and analytical mindset among those who practice it.

Introduction to the Challenges and Issues of Migration (Situation Analysis)

At a time when migration occupies an increasing place in public debate and is subject to misinformation, this approach through Participatory Science appears particularly relevant. It allows one to take a step back, analyze this phenomenon with rigor, and provide responses better suited to the many challenges it raises.

Migrations—whether internal, regional, or international—represent a complex phenomenon with economic, social, cultural, and environmental dimensions. While many academic and institutional studies document these dynamics, they often struggle to reflect the lived experiences of migrants and their communities of origin and reception.

Thus, Participatory Science operates on several dimensions. It contributes on the one hand to the production of knowledge about migration, and on the other hand to raising awareness among a wide range of stakeholders. By integrating civil society into research and project design processes, it also acts on a political level by promoting responses that are better adapted to the needs and challenges related to this phenomenon.

OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED RESULTS

• Learning and Awareness

When applied to migration issues, Participatory Science becomes a tool for learning and awareness, helping to better highlight the causes of migration, the lived experiences of migrants, and the challenges they face throughout their journey. It thus contributes to reducing prejudices and stereotypes that fuel tensions and polarization within society.

• Empowerment and Responsibility

It also promotes the learning of community knowledge (often rendered invisible) and offers an opportunity for the communities most affected (migrants, host communities, communities impacted by forced migration) to take part in scientific research, data collection, and the sharing of their experiences. In this sense, it contributes to the empowerment of migrants by offering them spaces of responsibility and capacity-building, even in contexts where their room for action is limited.

• Democratic Benefits and Better Adaptation of Solutions

Beyond its educational function, Participatory Science is based on the direct involvement of non-scientific citizens in research. Data collection, testimony sharing, and participation in result analysis enable not only a richer production of knowledge but also solutions better adapted to lived realities. This approach increases citizen self-determination and strengthens the legitimacy of results among the communities concerned.

• Indirect Influence on Public Policies

Participatory Science also has a democratic dimension, in that it can indirectly influence public policies. By relying on a bottom-up approach, it promotes the active participation of citizens directly affected by a research project. This method, already applied in various fields such as biodiversity, food, or women’s living conditions, can—when transposed to migration issues—encourage governments to redefine their priorities and develop policies more respectful of the dignity and human rights of migrants. Because citizens become both co-authors of decisions and better informed about the issues, policy implementation becomes not only easier but also more sustainable over time.

• Complements to Scientific Research and Progress

Participatory Science represents a valuable complement to academic and institutional research on migration, as it integrates dimensions often neglected by traditional approaches. It enriches knowledge production by giving a central place to the stories, lived experiences, and community knowledge of directly affected individuals. It also promotes the collection of fine qualitative data—difficult to capture through traditional methods—while creating a relationship of trust with the studied communities. Finally, by bridging scientific expertise and experiential knowledge, it paves the way for new forms of social and methodological innovation.

METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES

Spaces/disciplines of intervention of Participatory Science to address migration challenges
Migration issues often lie at the intersection of several themes/disciplines/subjects
Public Health: projects where migrants help identify their healthcare needs, linguistic or administrative barriers, in order to adapt services.

• Labor and Exploitation: surveys conducted with migrant workers on working conditions to better document abuses.
• Urban Planning and Housing: participatory mapping of neighborhoods where migrants live to understand infrastructure and cohabitation issues.
• Education and Culture: co-creation of educational programs integrating migratory narratives into local history.
• Intercultural Relations: participatory initiatives bringing migrants and locals together around environmental, artistic, or food-related issues.
• Environment and Biodiversity: either preventive mechanisms to reduce environmental disaster risks, droughts, or other factors allowing local populations to choose whether or not to migrate (goal: zero forced migration), or initiatives addressing migrants’ needs at the intersection of personal and climate-change-related challenges (e.g., community gardens offering work and temporary housing for displaced persons).
• Humanitarian: mechanisms facilitating humanitarian workers’ interventions in areas where human risk is high.
• Food: participatory initiatives aimed at securing access to food and promoting migrants’ culinary knowledge (e.g., solidarity kitchens, mapping of local food resources co-built with migrant and host populations).

CONTRIBUTIONS / ADVANTAGES

• Social connection / social cohesion, solidarity, and intercultural relations
• Better alignment of decisions
• Participation in data/knowledge collection and creation
• Democratic practice
• Encouragement of innovation
• Empowerment / capacity-building of migrants, autonomy, agency
• Improved self-image
• Education and awareness of migration issues, global interdependencies

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Participatory Science offers an innovative and inclusive way to understand and address migration challenges. By placing directly affected people at the heart of research and action processes, it promotes more refined knowledge production, better policy adaptation, and a more humane response to migration challenges. This approach strengthens scientific democracy, social cohesion, and the effectiveness of humanitarian interventions.

Recommendations:

• Encourage the integration of participatory approaches into research and action programs on migration.
• Support partnerships between scientific institutions, NGOs, IOs, and local communities to co-build shared tools and data.
• Promote training and capacity-building for migrants and field actors in the use of participatory methods.
• Highlight the knowledge generated by these initiatives in public policy development and public awareness.
  Thus, Participatory Science is not merely a tool for knowledge but a true lever for social and political innovation, fostering fairer, more inclusive, and more sustainable migration governance.